gulfcaptain

Only thing I wonder about will you be able to thread straight braid through the shrink tube since it's pretty limp. I've had some issues with heavier tungsten weights with braid. Cure....a bobber stop between the weight and the knot. Finally found a use for those yellow bobber stoppers....lol

Digging in issues come more from it not being put on with correct tension and cheaper braid. If I have to pull a lure free from a snag I may encounter this slightly, but a quick cast out and reel in to repack the braid typically cures the problem and that is only when fishing lighter lures where there isn't as much drag and weight. But like stated above, you spool and pack it on correctly and use a quality braid, you shouldn't have this issue.

You would think so, but they look for the crayfish and other bits of goodness down in that stuff. Normally when you drop it in there they pick it up right away. Don't worry, they will find it. I don't have matted beds I fish, just grass beds and they tend to find the jigs just fine.

Randy Moss. But Rice is a great reciever as well as Micheal Irving. So guess I have 3 stand outs.

Great catch, but maybe time to upgrade those hooks so the next PB doesn't get the chance to straighten the hook.

Good to see some of today's youth wanting to be outside instead of video games. Last year mine begged to go fishing, now I have to drag him away from the electronics to go. Sounds like you two had a great day.

I get 6" bass chasing 8" swimbaits all the time. They don't know how big they are but I know how big they think they are.

If you get through the grass, a lot of times it's open below. You would think that it being up in the grass would work better and the thought of it hitting the bottom and disappearing into that mat would lesson your chances. The heavier the weight, the less it will hang up. Lighter weights get caught in the grass.You can work a bait easier on a 3/4oz weight thru grass then with a 1/4. The fish you are after look for the clear pockets that are open below the grass, That is where you want your bait, not in the canopy above. You peg your sinker/jig so your sinker doesn't end up at the bottom while your bait is stuck up in the weeds out of the strike zone. You want it to be pulled down to them. And be careful with the 7'6" XH H20, I have broke 2 of them. One was trying to flip a fish and grass up out of the water and the other I think was damaged during shipping. Broke right off the bat. Good rod, just be careful.

If you think when you cast the rod loads up, if you rotate the rod where the line is running through the guides where they are below the blank the lure or bait tends to carry the energy from the rod better as the energy from the blank has an upward force.. If you do this and try and cast with the reel on top the line slows as it runs across the guides with a downward force and causes the lure to have more of a straight shot into the water which will carry the energy of the cast causing a sudden stop. With the reel angle (rotating the rod to where it is below and using the force of the rod) the lure will have an ark which will carry the bait farther and slow as it starts it's way down and let the line spool off the reel in a more natural way. This works for long distance casting, it was a trick learned fishing with conventional reels in the ocean where getting a 2 to 3 oz surface jig 50+ yards away from the boat to skitish fish or being able to toss a 4"anchovy 20yds away with heavier gear. So when fishing casting reels, other then the line guide on the reel the techniques are pretty much the same. You get more out of your cast with less force which causes less over runs or backlashes. Pitching is a whole different topic though. Hope this helps some.

Budget Rod....if you have an Acadamy close by, the H20 Heavy rods will work 7' and over. Or BPS Graphite IM6 under 40 for a 7'6".. Check Wally World out and if you can find one of the Bucco 6'10Hvy's that would work as well. Mine, I went to a 7'11" Quatum Tour Tactical Hack Attack Moderate Action rod. Spent a bit more money but well worth the investement. Those big fish you yearn for you're gonna have to go in and get them. You can go bear hunting with a 22 mag, but I think I would prefer a 30/06. Same thing when you're fishing the cover you're talking about. You don't need a $200+ flipping stick or punch rod to get the job done....may be lighter and a tad more sensitive but fishing heavy jigs and straight braid you can get away with a lot less and be extremely successful.

I would suggest getting a heavy flipping stick, hit up Siebert Jigs and get yourself some 3/4, 1, and 1 /12oz tungsten punch jigs, some DB Craws, bobber stoppers, and start punching. Depth breaks, where 2 types of cover meet, etc what I said earlier. Go punching into the thick stuff with some 50lb or 65lb braid. Forget the worms, compact flipping baits. Go in and get them. Only need two rods right now, the frog rod and the punch rod. if you miss one on the frog follow it up with the jig.

Honestly if you're flipping and pitching into thick cover the chances of your line spooking fish are probably about 10%. Fish straight braid on clear ponds with lots of grass, no problems at all. Even a few I see attack a jig when it hits the water around 0 cover. Those fish are in an an agressive feeding mood when they hit it....Most of the time they hit the jig before it hits the bottom in less then 2ft of water with a 3/4oz jig. You have to have faith in your presentation and when you do hook that good fish deep in the grass you will be thankful you have one less connection to worry about breaking or being knicked.

Evolve or quit. If I only needed one bait then that would take away from my joy of figuring out which rod to use and what to fish with. Might as well get a cain pole, string, and a worm. Take one of my favorites away, oh well, I have 6 others I can fish just as easy. A good angler and fisherman uses several differnent techniques and baits to become successful. Just like a mechanic, he can't work on your car with just a cresent wrench. He needs tools to do his job right. And might as well forget about golf too....too many clubs, might have to make choices on which one to use....j/k

Sometimes when you load up the rod casting, turning the reel over helps with the line flowing out of the reel. You can achieve a greater distance. Also leads to less backlashes with that little bit of rotation since you change the angle the line coming off the reel.

Some larger older unhealthy skinny fish should be removed. Healthy fish not so much. But like it's stated above that's a whole different discussion as well as ones own personal preferences.

You don't want to flip with 8lb. Fish straight 20lb, I've moved up to using 30lb and have no issues of spooked fish...I choose not to fish heavier because it's mainly all grass and vegatation for me. If you're looking to finesse a jig like 1/4oz or something and drag a footbaill head then I would say 12-15lb FC with about a 4ft leader. Also, if you're worried about them seeing your line....take a marker and color a 6-12" area, then skip another equal space and color it again. This will break up the profile of the line. Does it work, I don't know, but I know it doesn't hurt.

Well it took me a year to figure those out for what would work for me and what was the best. And quite a bit of failure too before I figured out what worked best for me. I've only lost 2 rigs and have broken 3 due to fishing use. They don't last forever and will break.

He could still get in through the viewers pole and get a second chance just like Ike did last year and I believe they have another event so he can still make it if he wins there. But I may be worng.

Anytime you can find them schooled up chasing shad or baitfish they can be successful. It's a tool that I find excels when they are in that feeding mood. Late summer, fall, late winter and spring up until early summer....especially right before and after spawn. Only time I don't throw it is when they are keyin in on bluegill or burried in the grass and weeds. I fish highy pressure wates, anything I can do to set myself apart from everyone else I feel gives me an edge. Your hunt for bigger fish should include mastering new techniques as well. The more options and techniques you have the better your chances of catching those fish you are after.

Have 2 lipless cranks and a wake.....just haven't had the right conditions to fish them yet. Although may take the wakebait out with me tomorrow and see what happens.

I fish 2 main rigs, the Yum Flashmob jr with 1/8 oz heads and 3-4" swing impacts, 3" Big Bite Shad's, and Lunker City Grubsters. Only can fish 3 hooks but use 5 wire with 2 dummy heads normally attached to the BB shad or grubsters and use Kietech 3/0 1/8oz tungsten heads on the others. The hooks hold better but I can still straighten them if needed with 20lb mono and 30lb braid. Other rig is the yellow hammer spinnerbait rig. Same baits, but this is a bigger rig and has larger blades which I can fish slower and shallower. Both I throw on a BPS MH 7'6" Cranking Stick with a 5:4 Carbonlite reel spooled with 30lb braid. Like the softer tip so it doesn't pull hooks. It's kinda like fishing a big spinnerbait. Is this fishing for everyone....no. Many have seen me use it, tried it and gotten frustrated. When all is said and done, one rig may run you after all the components $30+ hence why I fish leadhead I can straighten if needed but may cost me a fish if I pull too hard. But then I feel the smaller jig heads give the baits more action also.

Big fish aren't going to out compete smaller bass. Example, lake I fish, the smaller 10-12" bass chase shad amost daily in one area. Decided to bring an umbrella rig. Below those smaller fish the bigger bass will lay in wait to pick off shad that the smaller fish have injured but didn't eat. Caught 2 of the 3 I hooked....one 12", the other almost 5lbs and staightened a hook on another before the bigger fish.(new rod and reel set up so drag was a bit tight). Big fish will look for prime areas to feed. Deep weed beds, points on the weedbeds or breaks where forage funnels through for easy picking. Two types of cover coming together, structure and cover. Sometimes big fish just decide to suspend out in deeper water till they decide to feed or a feeding oppurtuity presents itself. Big worms are skinny and produce more fish but may be smaller. Jigs produce bigger average fish depending on the jig and trailer size. I have caught bigger average on a 3/4 to 1oz punch jig and a SK Rage DB Craw then say fishing with a 1/2oz jig and a 4" paca craw. Bigger profile craw bait I believe tends to attract that bigger bite although it is compact in size compared to a big worm. I can also drop this bait into their space quickly producing a reation bite where a big worm may fall slower and give them time to look at as well as possibly mouth and spit it out. Bigger fish use their enviorment to their advantage for a meal instead of chasing it down. They will sit motionless next to bluegill beds for what seems like forever until they explode and grab one that has gotten used to them sitting there and deemed them to be no threat. So as stated although some may disagree, location, location, location. Then it's putting something that they see as an easy meal in front of them that they can't resist. A jig could represent a crawfish or a bluegil, I use the A-rig to my advantage on schooled up bass chasing shad or glass minniows to take advantage of their messy feeding habits when schooled up. Other times swimbaits will work, but only when they are keying in on them when they stock trout which is a small window on small bodies of water. So guess I would have to add timing to the location as well. Disect each fish you catch...where, and why was it there. What were the conditions? All of that information will help you in your persuit of larger fish you are after. Good luck.

Such a simple minded animal can make us sooo frustrated. But then that's why we all enjoy bass fishing.

Get some glasses, even cheap polarized are better then nothing. You will be suprised at what you can see. Will help you see cover and details you are missing without them. And your jig colors are pretty basic, I would also add a black/blue and green pumpkin candy color jigs to your collection. Both seem to produce better in the water clarity you have atleast for me. But I would call your waters stained. But it is all relevent to where you live if you have deep lakes with 20+ feet of vis.

I feel the same way, if you enter their food chain you take your chances. They shoot Moutain Lions in CA because they attack people in "Wilderness areas" riding game trails......hmmm, was it the lion's fault you entered his frigde...nope he didn't come to your house and attack you. If that was the case then yes. But if they are in their envoirment we should be the ones that respect them and read signs that should be posted...."Now entering a wilderness area, you are now part of the food chain. Please pay attention or you may become part of it. And enjoy your stay and pick up any trash you leave. Thank you"